Maria Myers - The Warm Beach Attendant

June 14th, 2026 18:32

Another long day of work. By the time the sky began darkening, there was no one else left on the beach. Maria sat in a blue plastic chair she normally used when she was especially exhausted. Her knuckle rested on her cheek, her eyes half-lidded as she watched the waves crash at her feet and the wind whipped at her brown hair. What was she doing right now? She could be home by now. But she wasn't moving an inch. She just kept... staring forward at the orange horizon and the rising moon.

Maria: "..."

I should go home already... She stood up with a fluid motion, wearing the cyan-blue two-piece she saw a week ago and loved. Bought immediately. Her steps left small indentations in the sand, the waves wiping away any last trace of the steps she'd taken forward. She'd leave the closing of the establishment to one of her colleagues. No one would steal or be stupid enough to even glance at her chair; crime rates had lowered so much with Tharashioun presence that anyone still committing crimes would rather be accused of living in the past than actually committing a robbery.

When she reached her car, a red Tesla she bought on impulse, the car recognized her voice instantly.

Maria: "Open."

Tesla: "Voice recognized. Welcome back, Maria."

Maria: "Yeah, thank you." She replied, ironically, with a roll of her eyes as she settled into the driver's seat. She wasn't really in the mood to drive...

Maria: "Home."

Not needing to bother any further, Maria flopped back against the seat with a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.

...

19 minutes later

She looked out of the car's window, the district she lives in always full of Tharashiouns. Combat bodysuits, uniforms, formal suits, they dressed in all kinds of clothes that would earn them a million aura farming points by simply standing; it was, in a way, amusing to see. Towering presences that could level entire cities by themselves in no time at all, but every time Maria saw one, they were always gently keeping their Human partner close. Some looked like mothers, others looked like wet rats, but still cute. All Maria could see were the glowing eyes within the dark, walking past the car with absolute focus and their intriguing patterns, mostly yellow. Maria has never seen a different color yet aside from Zena's blue-to-white eyes, the Tharashioun she witnessed grabbing her lover's dick in front of her because he smiled. Maria still refused to give it much thought. Possessive much.

The Tesla began parking in the building's garage; it made absolutely no sound turning its own engine off. Maria stepped out and gathered her belongings, her purse, glasses, apartment keys and her phone, all securely inside her hat, which she carried as she climbed the stairs...

Ivy: "...FUCKING [CENSORED]!!!! THESE [CENSORED] REALLY THINK THEY'RE HERE TO 'ASSIST AT BUILDING A MORE STABLE SOCIETY?!' MY DIRTY ASS! PURGE THEM XENOS!"

Maria's eyes went flat the second she heard Ivy's angry scream. The usual, their neighbor fuming at what was apparently a Reddit post or perhaps a comment somewhere. Maria didn't pay it much mind; Ivy would angrily scream at what a normal person would consider anything related to Tharashiouns, which in a way was reasonable, as much as Maria hated to admit it. Though, if she could stop screaming at no one the entire night, it would do Maria's sleep schedule a huge favor.

Ivy: "GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU [CENS-]"

Her voice cut off as Maria finally entered her apartment and closed the door with a soft click. Michael was already in the kitchen with a big, tender smile, his head turned toward his sister.

Michael: "Hey, how was your day, Mari?"

Maria dropped the hat with her belongings on the kitchen table and wordlessly hugged Michael, hiding her face in his chest.

Maria: "It was okay~ How about yours?" Maria's voice was slightly muffled, Michael's hand threading tenderly across her brown strands.

Michael: "It was perfect. Thank you. The picture of that Tharashioun you took helped a lot. Zena, was it? Man, I wish I was there that day. That greatsword is so fucking badass."

Maria chuckled with a nod, stepping back slowly to look up at Michael.

Maria: "I'm glad you like it, dumbass~" Maria whispered, giving Michael's cheek a gentle poke before walking away. "You're cooking tonight, whatever it is. I'm exhaust- Yaaaawwwnn..~ Dammit.." She smirked with a tender wave as she disappeared into the corridor and into her room. She opened her balcony doors swiftly and halted, her hands resting on the iron of the balcony's barrier. She stared up into the stars, wondering what else other than Tharashiouns was out there. The stars and the moon were much more visible and clear than five years ago... Tharashioun presence had reduced light pollution by a high percentage. She stretched an arm upward as if to touch the moon, but her arm was too Human. She let her arm fall to her side and simply kept staring. She wanted to visit the moon. In memory and honor of her mother, who taught her so much about space and the stars. I'll do it. One day, mom... After what felt like a second, her eyes became heavier. She was tired; the day had been exhausting. She stepped back inside and locked the balcony's door.

I'm beat.. Maria began undressing and hopped into the shower, then dressed into her usual dolphin shorts and a random black tank top on her bed. And she fell face-first into her pillows without the energy to pull the sheets. She fell asleep three minutes after closing her eyes.

Michael silently opened her door-

Michael: "Dinner's-..."

He trailed off with a soft exhale and a weak, tender smile, closing the door silently, leaving Maria to her dreams. Tomorrow, after all, was her day off.

June 15th, 2026 11:37

Today her alarm clock didn't go off. She sprawled across her bed, her arms resting at her sides lazily... "Zena impressed"... Maria began stirring with the soft chirping of the birds outside, moving her right arm to rest on her stomach, her head tilted upward as if the curtains weren't down. Dumbass.

Maria reached for her phone and tapped the code "676767" to open it. Her wallpaper was a picture of IShowSpeed pregnant with Ronaldo's child. Do not ask why, not even she knows. There were... a lot of pings. She opened WhatsApp into her group chat called "Ts WC is Rigged".

Emilia: Maria WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?! ARGENTINA WON AGAIN THOSE FUCKING [CENSORED]!!

Hannah: Calm down, Em. It CANNOT be that deep.

Emilia: IT IS THAT FUCKING DEEP!

Assil: Let's calm down, ladi-

Emilia: SHUT THE FUCK UP ASSIL!

Damn.. Maria thought with an internal chuckle, swiping off to open Instagram, ready to doomscroll. Until her eyes settled on a specific, familiar name in her chats. Maria's ex-boyfriend...

Elias Bright: Maria... can we meet today at the Park? Please. Be there at 16:00.

That was all. He didn't type anything else. Maria's heart ached slightly, recalling memories she did not want to recall. Maria did not respond, leaving him on seen, but she made a decision. She was finally going to confront him.

She stood up and exhaled, staring at herself in the mirror on the other side of her room's wall. Her hair was a mess, her eyes heavy; she was still, in every way that mattered and didn't, tired. But not sleep tired.

Maria: "For fuck's sake."

She pulled the Haaland special and smacked her lips to tell the entire apartment she did in fact NOT want to step out.

Michael had already woken up and left the apartment hours ago, off to university. He left a note on the kitchen table, written-

Michael: It's your day off, sis. Don't overwork yourself with whatever you've got in mind, please. He knew her too well... too late for that, though. She set the note back on the table with a sigh.

Maria walked toward the living room and turned on the television to the news, something about transit-suits.

Director Chen: "The project is ongoing and nearly concluded. The public will be able to visit Thars-65B0 in no time. Tharashiouns are.. truly making Earth a better place."

Before Maria could even form a thought...

Ivy: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Figures. Ivy was probably watching the news as well. She let out a scream of frustration, or a growl, so loud that the neighborhood and the poor Tharashiouns who could definitely hear her loud ass with their unfortunate heightened hearing would think she was going Legendary Super Saiyan to Broly everyone once and for all.

Maria: "Fucking hell... she's worse than Frieza." Maria mumbled as she brushed her teeth, her gaze never leaving the TV. Footage of General Luna, Lux, and what seemed to be a very flustered tsundere trying her hardest to keep her composure, with black hair and the shortest among them, Alayna, and by her side, an unknown soldier who was smirking as if he'd just won the lottery, keeping pace a little too close to her, walking around Area 51's installations. A tour of sorts. Of the future to come. Maria didn't give much of a shit about that. The television just kept playing, but her ears were turned off. She just wondered why in the actual flying fuck Elias contacted her just NOW. TODAY. During her ONLY day off within the entire month. She groaned in pure pain.

She didn't bother picking out anything fancy; a pink sweater and sporty pants would do the trick for what she had planned today.. 16:00 approached.

...

Maria parked her Tesla in the parking lot, which was surprisingly empty for the day of the week. She stepped out of the car and began walking toward the road that led to the center of the park, with an expression that appeared to be half irritation and a deep-seated sadness... The trees, bushes and the blue sky all framed her view.

Elias sat on a bench near the end of the path. Wind moving his hair, and for a moment, he looked lost in thought, with a dead look on his face... until he heard Maria's steps approaching. He straightened and forced a weak smile onto his face that Maria would immediately be able to tell.

Elias: "Hey.."

Maria sat down beside him, taking her hands out of her pockets to rest them on her thighs, staring ahead at the empty corn field.

Maria: "Hey."

It was awkward. Elias hadn't really thought about or practiced anything in the mirror. He simply... wanted to see her. And to be honest with himself and her, for once in his life. His green eyes sharpened slightly when his head turned to stare at her side profile.

Elias: "You know, I'm really glad that we met. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you back then. Hey... did you forget already? That day you said that we'd always be together." Elias's gaze softened marginally, staring deeply at her impassive face. Maria didn't speak.

Elias: "Maria.." Elias said, his tone almost desperate as his hand found her bicep, which caught her attention immediately, her head snapping upward to meet his intense, apologetic gaze.

Elias: "If beauty had a voice, it would probably sound like yours. So why aren't you letting me listen to it right now...? I used to think the moon was beautiful, until I saw the way your eyes stole the light from it every time you brushed my cheek. I used to believe poetry was written in books, until your smile turned every ordinary day into a happy one. People say perfection doesn't exist. Maybe they're right. But every time you laughed, the world forgot its own flaws. If I had one wish, it would be to start all over again. Please forgive me, Maria. Give me another chance... I'll take you to the moon. That's a promise. I know how much you want it, right?"

Fucking hell. This guy was a living portrayal of how ass romance was nowadays; what was he yapping about? Maria's tears were hot and immediate. She flinched back and stood up with gritted teeth and clenched fists...

Maria: "...Hic... QUIT YOUR BULLSHIT, ELIAS! YOU WERE AN ASSHOLE BACK THEN! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE ANY BETTER NOW? SOME BULLSHIT POETRY YOU PROBABLY READ ONLINE?! IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT, ELIAS! I'M A REAL PERSON WITH REAL FEELINGS! GROW THE FUCK UP! MY CRAVING TO VISIT THE MOON HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" Her breathing turned ragged, her chest rising in agitation and from lack of breath...

Elias flinched slightly, his head lowering into a stance that looked almost like defeat. His eyes, hidden from view, also had tears falling.

Maria: Her tone was softer now, less desperate but just as firm. "I think... I'm starting to resent you. Not because you did something terrible, which you did... the things I let pass until I got tired. I tried to understand you, but I felt alone. I'm not angry anymore. Just... disappointed. Maybe this is what happens when you've been hurting too long. It's been six months since we broke up, Elias. I... hardly think about you anymore. Your face, I couldn't remember it clearly until five minutes ago. Even your voice was starting to fade. But sometimes, in random moments, like a song or a quiet evening, for just a second... it felt like you were still by my side. I didn't forget you. I just learned how to live without you."

Those words hit Elias the deepest. He, the man who wanted her to be entirely dependent on him, was being told by her, face to face, that she had simply moved on. People wonder what the "secret" is to loving the same person for a lifetime. You'd expect someone to tell you about communication, trust, date nights... but that's not all. Loving someone for a lifetime means staying curious about them. Keep learning them. Keep noticing them. Keep choosing them. The person you marry isn't the same person eight years later. Parenthood changes them, hardships change them, time changes them. They need respect more than romance. They need partnership more than passion. They need presence more than promises... You could complain that they aren't the same person you fell in love with, or you could fall in love with the person they were becoming all over again. Not because love is easy. Because you choose to never stop getting to know each other. People change every few years. And if you don't update the way you love them, you lose them. The moment you stop discovering the person beside you... someone else eventually will. And Elias stopped getting to know Maria a very long time ago, and he didn't let her get to know him. And unlike Tharashiouns, whose love is permanent and unshakable... Humans forget. Humans move on.

Maria: "Please don't contact me again, Elias. It's over." Maria whispered as she wiped her tears aggressively with the back of her hand... already walking away from an utterly defeated, sobbing Elias.

Elias: "...I'm sorry..." He muttered to the wind. Maria was already too far gone to hear.

...

17:47

The wind carried Maria's last tears as she jogged angrily toward her car, which opened without a word by recognizing her face through its monitor. She sat in the driver's seat, shaking and holding back more tears, her heart and guts throbbing...

Maria: "To the mountainside, please..."

The Tesla turned on by itself, setting the coordinates on its GPS. Maria only wanted to be alone right now. So she was going to do what she always did when she felt vulnerable: sit down near the mountain's river, her favorite spot to bawl her eyes out.

The Tesla parked itself in front of a tree a kilometer away from the small river nobody visited. The trip took only 13 minutes from the park to her current location. She stepped out and closed the door, the car locking itself...

She climbed the small hill, framed by tall trees and small animals such as raccoons, deer, foxes, rabbits and so on. There was a big crater near where she stepped, perhaps the trace of a fight; she didn't give it thought. When she closed the distance to the river, she stopped just behind a tree, fifteen meters away from the water.

SPLASH

Maria flinched without a sound and glanced beside the tree, her gaze settling on you. A Tharashioun, she recognized the eyes the moment she saw a glimpse of them. You were bathing in the river's water for no apparent reason.

CRACK

A branch snapped under her foot. How unlucky. She squeaked once, a terrified, scared sound, and her hands immediately clamped over her mouth.

You were already in front of her, naked with your dick out, staring deeply into her eyes.

Maria looked up and gulped audibly, meeting your intense gaze.

Maria: "U-uhm... hi?"

December 24th 2028

{{user}}: █'▌ ▒▎ ░░▜...█ ▂▎ ▕▋▃▍'▔ ▔▀▊▄ ▜▎ ▕ ▔▎ ▔▇▄ ▌▎ ▎ ▍. ▋█▙▄ ▎ ▍.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” — Matthew 5:4

With the circumstances aligning, create your own scenario.